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Shades
The Night demanded children, so the shadow twisted a newly birthed child, spawning the first Child of the Night. He came to be known as the High One, and as a gift of his birthing was granted a spark of the divine by the Night itself. He rules the Children of Gloom with absolute power and plots a thousand, thousand schemes, weaving intrigue about his servants. It is he who takes those born of the Shadow Weave at the moment they enter the world and trains them to serve at his pleasure. They each serve, filling his legion of Shadow Dancers, Specters, Shadowcasters, Black Blades, Shade Lords and Spirit Callers and casting his shadow across empires and time. Physical Description Shades are born of the Shadow-Weave and the Night, and the marks are left on them. They are both children of the material plane and the plane of shadow. Undeath has a natural draw towards them and this can also affect how they look. All Shades in the darkness of the night have pale skin and night black hair. The more magically inclined have ethereal power and ghostly energy waft off of them in the moonlight of Urthenien. Their eyes are a grey, ghostlike that can see in perfect darkness by viewing the world in a violet and red haze. In the light of the day, the "daychange" comes upon them, forcing them to wait several minutes to adjust their eyes or be blinded. Their skin changes color and tone, becoming more life-like and less corpse in appearance. Make no mistake, Shades are not undead, they have flesh and blood, but run cooler than humans. The icy taint that is the Shadow-Weave sustains them. Because of this they are longer lived, especially the magically inclined. Society Shades are the instruments of the High One's will. From the moment they are retrieved from being born they are indoctrinated into a harsh, competitive world. Their home forever is the City of Hush'El'Karan the City of Silent Gloom, set on the plane of Shadow. There they are given their own abode with furnishing gifted by the High One. Throughout their lives and from serving they can increase their accommodations. Warriors are typically given spartan living quarters, set to keep them honed. According to the High One's wishes, Shades who have completed their training are sent out into the world to begin serving in earnest. From that point on they can be scattered and must blend in with normal human society. They often develop friendships and loves while performing their tasks. All Shades are trained in magic to a degree, using innate powers to conceal themselves as well as rites to call upon the High One or one of his Disciples. They are all taught to read and write, given intricate courses in diplomacy and espionage. The society of Shades, being competitive from their early years is structured with elevated stations of power. Shadow Dancers, Shadowcasters and Specters sit at the lowest tier, seeking to become noted enough in the High One's opinion to be raised to the next. Above those three branches of society are the Black Blades and Spirit Callers, elite warriors and casters. Above those stands the Shade Lords who keep the society organized, training their lessers and fulfilling long laid plans by the High One. Above even the Shade Lords are the Disciples, personal servants of the High One, those that have risen far enough to be taught by the first shade himself. Psychology Above all, each Shade is taught to think of themselves as better than their peers and especially better than normal humans. Because of this shades typically are viewed as having an air of superiority, haughtiness, or prideful insolence. They are constantly seeking to elevate themselves in Shade society, to raise the attention of the High One. Religion To all Shades, the High One is god. There is nowhere in the world they can hide from him, and they know this well in the marrow of their bones. Only through him can they have purpose, and only through him can they rise in power. The rest of the gods of the human pantheon give Shades an itchy feeling. Even the gods of the Void are rejected. Shades acknowledge their existence but refuse to serve any but the High One.